PV System Commissioning

TestsandTools
By:BillHoffer
PublishedIn: Issue#153,February/March2013

Themodulesaremounted,theinverterplaced,andthewiringisdonebutbeforeyou(oryourinstaller)putaway
thetools,commissioningproceduresarenecessarytoverifysystemsafetyandinitialperformance.

AlthoughrecommendedintheNorthAmericanBoardofCertifiedEnergyPractitioners(NABCEP)resource
guide,auniversalprocedureforPVsystemcommissioninghasnotbeenimplementedintheUnitedStates.InEurope,
manyagenciesarefollowingthecommissioningrecommendationsoftheInternationalElectrotechnicalCommission
(IEC).ExtensivecommissioningtestingiscommonplaceforcommercialscalePVsystems,andhavingasolid
procedureforresidentialsystemshelpsensurethesystemisproperlyinstalledandperformingoptimally.Thisarticle
focusesonthetestsperformedandtoolsusedtocommissionthePVsystemattheCloudviewEcofarm(seethe
CommissioningCloudviewsidebarinthisarticleandIncreasingProductionwithSingleAxisTrackinginHP153).
TheTests

ThefollowingelectricaltestsarerecommendedbyIEC62446(andbyNABCEP)forcommissioning:
Polarityofeachmodulestringtoverifythatwiresaremarkedandconnectedproperlycheckbefore
connectingtotheinverter,sincereversepolaritycouldharmit.
Opencircuitvoltage(Voc)toconfirmthatseriesstringsareproperlywired.AllparallelstringsVocshouldbe
within5%ofeachotherandwithinmanufacturerstolerancesforthegivenirradianceandcelltemperaturesofthe
testconditions.
Shortcircuitcurrent(Isc)toconfirmthatallstringsshortcircuitcurrentsarewithin5%ofeachother.
Groundingcontinuitytoverifythatadequategroundinghasbeenestablishedbymeasuringthearraytoearth
groundresistance.Averyhighresistancemeansthattheresabadconnection(forexample,animproperly
torquedgroundscrew)inthegroundingsystem.
Insulationresistancetesting(sometimesreferredtoasmeggertesting)confirmsthatthereisnoshort
circuitconnectionbetweenthepositiveandnegativeconductorsandground(seeInsulationResistancetablefor
thepass/failcriteriaandtestvoltagesasrecommendedbyIEC62446).
Performanceverificationsensurethattheinverterissupplyingthepredictedoutputunderoperationbasedon
theirradiance,ambientandcelltemperatures,ACandDCvoltagedrop,andtheinvertersefficiency.

View article as a single page

MarcFontana
GreatArticle!Onequestionthecaptionbelowthecenterphotoofthe
ArrayPowerCurveonpage63reads"...240VDCmodulesinSeries"
Isthisatypographicalmistakeoristhevoltageofthewholestring?
ThescreenshotshowsaVocof342volts(34.2voltspermodule).
Shouldn'tthiscaptionbe240WDC?
3years4monthsago
ScottRussell
Theonlineversionofthearticlehasbeencorrected.Thanksfor
keepingusonourtoes,Marc.Scott,HP
3years4monthsago

1 2 Next

JoeSchwartz
Greatcatch,Marc!Thatwasatypoonourpartandyouare
correctthatthecaptionshouldhavestated"240WDC".Thanks
againforyoursharpeye.Joe,editor
3years4monthsago